Tire-locking device



MI. c. LEE

mm momma DEVICE x-"iledl April 6., 1922 fl? Maw U 66 Patented rt, 22,lhfidi trons-n C. 'LEJE, OF UHIEitEtJQ, ILLINUIS.

' TIBIEJLUGKING imitation.

applieatien filed April e, was, $erial no, seams nenw a January es, wee,

My invention relates to locking devices for automobile tires and moreparticularly to a loekingdevice that is secured to the valve stem of thetire. v

Automobile tires customarily comprise an outer casing and an inner tube,the outer casingbeing mounted on a rim which is provided with an openingthrough which the valve stem, through which the inner tube is inflated,extends. Sometimes a iellyot wood or other material is provided inaddition to this rim, but whether this is provided or not, a valve stemis always provided extending throughan opening in some part of theWheel, such as the rim. 'llire carriers are usually provided with anopeningthrough which this valve stem may extend.

[lt'isa purpose of the invention to provide means on the'valve stem forlockingthe tire to the wheel or tire carrier, said means not onlylooking the valve stem againstremoval through the opening in 'thewheelor rim membeigfbut also preventing access to the valve so as to make itimpossible to deflate the tire in the ordinary manner. It ispractical-1y impossible to remove the outer casing from the wheel, eventhough the same is a separate member "from the inner tube, when the"inner tube is initiated i'i'the inner tube is locked to the wheel bymeans of the valve stem.

In the particular embodiment of the invention shown which is at thepresent time apreferred form, the valve stem is provided with alock nutand with a dust cap, said dust cap being so made as to housetheylock nutV toprevelit turning thereof except by some means that iskey Controlled,or in some other manner underthe control or the person placing the dustcap on the valve stem. The locking nut is preferably so made that thesame cannot be turned except by the use of a key or in some similarmanneiu-and in the form shown the dust cap houses the looking nut and isfree to rotate thereabout, except when a key is'inserted through asuitable opening in the dust cap, said key entering suitable openings inthe locking nut so as to cause the dust cap and locking nut to turntogether, thus making it possible to unscrew the looking nut by turningthe dust cap itself or by turning both the dust cap and locking nut bymeans of the key.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as thedescription of the accompanying drawings proceeds. However,

ll desire to have it distinctly understood that ll do not intend tolimit myself to the exact details shown or described, but that Iintendtoinclude as part of my invention all such obvious changes andmodifications of parts as would occur to a person skilled in this artand as would fall within the vscope 0f the claims, l i

In the drawings V a i F g. 1 is a View partly in section and partly inelevation of a valve stem and means for securing the same to an innertube showing the same applied to a wheel, the wheel, rim and tire beingshown as being-broken away, my improved locking'device being shown insection in position on the valve stem;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation ofa dust capI embodying my improvedlocking means; anc

Fig. 3 is a section taken 01"? Fig. 1.

lteierring in detail to the drawings, in Fig. 1 is shown a portion of awooden telly 5 having a fixed rinrG and a demou'ntable rim 7 mountedthereon. Mounted on the demountab-le rim 7 is a tirecomprising the usualouter casing with in which the inflatable inner tube 8 is confined. Theinner tube 8 has avalvestem 9 provided thereon, the valve stem 9 beingprovided with a headed port-ion 10 at the inner end thereof on the innerface of the inner tube '8, and is provided with a bridge piece 11between the inner tube 8 and the rim 7. The bridge piece 11 is ofcustomary construction and is "held in position by means of the nut 12,said nut also servingto clamptheinner tube 8 between the head 10 and thebridge piece 11. a a V The valve stem 9 is provided with the usualthreaded portion 13upon which the locking nut 14 is adapted to bescrewed until the same engages with the "inner face of the telly 5, thusclamping the valve member and the inner tube 8, and as a result,-theouter casing in position on the wheel or other member through which thevalve stem extends, as the case may be.

It will be seen from Fig. 8 that the member 14- is made similar inoutline and that the valve is provided with adust cap 15 which isprovided with an outwardly struck annular portion 16 which extendsaround the nut 14.

lit will also be seen that the member 15 is necked in as at 17 in anysuitable manner so as to completely house the member 14, thus on theline 3-3 lid , preventing access to the member 14 with a wrench or othermeans. The nut 14 is provided with a plurality of recesses or slots l8and the dust cap 15 is provided with an irregular slot or opening 19through which a key of the proper form may be inserted, said key beingshown in dotted lines at 20. The

key 20 is adapted to enter one of the recesses the entrance of dust intothe valve mechanism through the slot 19 an annular dust cover 22 isprovided, said member 22 being formed so as to have portions 23extending around the shoulders at the enlarged portion 16 of the dustcap so as to guide the movement thereof permitting rotationof the member22 around the member 15: A gap isfprovided at24 in the member22sothatwhen this gap is turned in alignment with the slot 19the key 20 canbe inserted in position to operate the dust cap to remove the same. Y

It will be evident that it is also necessary to use the key for placingthe dust cap in position, thus making it necessary to have the key toassemble the device in the position shown in Fig. 1. It willibeevidentthat when the dust cap is in position and locked in this positionby means of the nut 14 that access to the valve to deflate the tirecannot be obtained. It will also be evident that due to the fact thatthedust cap ordinarily turns on the nut that the nut cannot ordinarily beunscrewed except by the use of the key.

It will befurther noted that even if the Wedging members or other meansby which the rim isheld in place are removed in an effort to. steal thetire that thetire cannot be removed from the rim due to the fact thatthe inflatable member within the same is locked to thewheel or othermember through which the valve stem extends, and that the inflat openingtherein through which said valve stem is adapted to be projected, meansfor clamping said valve stem to said member movable into and out ofclamping position by rotation thereot, a housing for said means mountedto normally rotate freely about said means, said means and said housinbeing adapted .to be engaged by a key where y said means and housing areadapted to rotate together.

2. The combination with a tire having a valve stem thereon, of a nuthaving screw threaded engagement with said valve stem and a dust caphousing said nut to prevent access thereto, said dust cap bein normallyfreely rotatable independently 0% said nut, said nut having recessestherein and said dust cap having an opening through which a memher isadapted to be passed into engagement with one of said recesses,whereupon turning of said dust cap will rotate said nut.

3. The combination with a tire having a valve stem thereon, of a nuthaving screw threaded engagement with said valve stem and a dust caphousing said nut to prevent access thereto, said dust cap being normallyfreely rotatable independently of said nut, said nut having recessestherein and said dust cap having an opening through which a member isadapted to be passed into engagement withone of said recesses, whereuponturning of said dust cap will rotate said nut and means for closing theopening in said dust cap.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day of March,A. D. 1922.

MORSE 0. LEE.

